


Things Fall Apart

by amathela



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-18
Updated: 2008-03-18
Packaged: 2017-11-16 16:10:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amathela/pseuds/amathela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>She never expected it to end well.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things Fall Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers up to episode _3:6 - War Crimes._

Something about boxes, and he's being traded -

It doesn't take her long to get it.

"Oh," she says, to no-one in particular. _Oh._ This is worse than Ways and Means.

If she'd been five minutes later, this wouldn't have been a problem.

-

She doesn't have his number in her cell. Nobody really calls her. She doesn't guess.

"Sorry," he starts, and she tells him, _no, it's okay, don't worry about it._

It ends with an invitation.

-

In her head, she says no.

-

This could all have been avoided if -

_Ainsley wasn't stuck in the basement. Josh didn't think she needed help. She forgot to recharge her battery._

It's the first second date she's wanted in ages.

She doesn't tell Josh.

-

"You look great," he says, and she's almost on time.

"I told you." It's just flip enough to be charming.

She'd like to think the smile isn't a promise.

-

There should be a disclaimer, somewhere. She's way too good at not saying things.

Somewhere around the second drink, his fingers slip across her wrist.

She never expected it to end well.

-

There are words they don't say. His thumb, absent, on the back of her hand.

He only offered to walk her home.

-

If this is all there is - it stopped being written on his face an hour ago - the kiss might have been goodbye.

Her lips on the edge of his mouth are soft, his fingers curl on her waist -

The living room is dark; he bumps his shin.

-

It's twelve hours since he called, and his fingers twist, slick -

She doesn't call his name, just in case.

-

He's sitting up when the alarm sounds; she blinks. She's not used to having someone in her bed. That's not what's wrong.

He reaches for his boxers, and his fingers slide across the edge. She doesn't see what he sees.

She's late.

-

She smiles too brightly at Josh; did you know half of the world's languages are no longer spoken by children? He doesn't notice.

She'll write about it, later.


End file.
